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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

With some distance now separating myself from many of the songs I've written — let's call that distance "perspective" rather than "age," shall we? — certain songs outlast others, enduring beyond their original context to resonate just as strongly in new chapters of my life. The one that really might be my favorite of all, that still just breaks my heart for some reason, is "Song I Wrote for You." I don't know what it is about this very simple song, but it's never stopped evoking the same profound emotions it did when I first wrote it.

It's partly about a girl, of course (isn't it always?). But that's a very small part of it, and certainly not the reason it continues to have such a powerful impact on me.

I was supposed to go down to New York that day. There had been some kind of minor bomb scare in the city, and I grew paralyzed with fear about the trip; I couldn't go. I couldn't even leave the apartment. I'm realizing now that it might have been the first time I really confronted the emotions that 9/11 had provoked in me: the deep-seated fright and overwhelming sadness I had mostly managed to quell for over a year.

Intentionally or not, the lyrics obscure some of that. But the melody triggers all of those emotions in me, all over again, every time.

[A] What's the matter with the world
What did I forget to [Bm] do
Was it something that I [D] said
Can I [E] make it up to [A] you

When did everything go wrong
Did they ever think that [Bm] through
I think I heard this in a [D] song
It was [E] one I wrote for [D] you

And I'm [E] hoping that the [A] world don't [Bm] fall
And I'm [D] holding out for [E] something but
[A] Not at [Bm] all and I'm [D] more or less [E] hopeful
But I [A] can't see the [Bm] starry sky
[D] Too many [E] sorrys I [A] don't know what to [G] do
But I'm [D] sure it ain't [Bm] nothing like [A] this
I [A] don't know what to [G] do
But I'm [D] sure it ain't [Bm] nothing like [A] this

[A] What's the matter with my [A] life
What did I forget to [Bm] bring
Can you tell me what to [D] do
God I [E] hear so many [A] things
I don't want to end this [A] way
I just want to make it [Bm] right
I'm afraid to live the [D] day
And I'm [E] scared to sleep the [D] night

And I'm [E] hoping that the [A] world don't [Bm] fall
And I'm [D] holding out for [E] someone but
[A] Oh not at [Bm] all and I'm [D] more or less [E] hopeful
But I [A] can't see the [Bm] starry sky
[D] Too many [E] sorrys I [A] don't know what to [G] do
But I'm [D] sure it ain't [Bm] nothing like [A] this
I [A] don't know what to [G] do
But it [D] sure ain't [Bm] nothing like [A] this